The Ultimate Banana Bread

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The aroma of baking banana bread is enough to drive just about anyone wild with anticipation. Our best version— made using the surprising (and mysteriously effective) technique of "marinating" the bananas in a buttermilk and baking soda blend—delivers on all counts. It's moist, buttery, sweet and chockfull of banana flavour.

Best Maple Butter Tarts

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Make your own delectable custardy tarts instead of buying them. We've subbed in the very Canadian ingredient maple syrup for the more common corn syrup. Plus, we've included variations on the classic, with chocolate and pecans instead of raisins.

Method

Sour Cream Pastry: In bowl, whisk flour with salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Whisk water with sour cream; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing briskly with fork and adding more water if necessary to form ragged dough. Press into disc; wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Bake in 350?F (180?C) oven until filling is set and pastry is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Run thin knife around edges to release tarts. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

Method

In stand mixer with paddle attachment, or in bowl using wooden spoon, beat together butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy; stir in flour just until combined.

Press dough into parchment paper– lined 9-inch (2.5 L) square cake pan. Using palm of hand, flatten to make smooth, even surface. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Using knife, score surface of dough into 24 rectangles; prick each cookie several times with fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake in 300 F (150 C) oven until firm and pale golden, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; cut through score lines. Let cool completely in pan. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)

Slow Cooker Balsamic-Braised Pot Roast

Weeknight entertaining is a breeze when you put your slow cooker to work! Adding a bit of flour to the sauce at the end of cooking turns it into a rich gravy to serve alongside the roast. Green peas and mashed sweet potatoes make great accompaniments to this hearty cold-weather dish.

Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from surface of cooking liquid. Whisk flour with 1/4 cup water; whisk into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Thinly slice beef across the grain; serve with sauce.

Tip from The Test Kitchen: For the most flavourful sauce, choose a good-quality balsamic vinegar. Taste the sauce before serving; if it's very tangy, stir in up to one tablespoon of granulated sugar until dissolved sweetness.